Trending
Whether it's a hockey game, a country music concert or a tour through the Winter Festival of Lights at Oglebay Park, a key figure in those Ohio Valley attractions was retired businessman and Wheeling resident J. Ross Felton Sr.
Felton died Tuesday at Good Shepherd Nursing Home in Wheeling. He was 91. Felton leaves behind a large loving family and a legacy for his descendants and all residents and visitors to the local region.
Dennis Magruder, Greater Wheeling Sports and Entertainment Authority executive director, called Felton "a very dear friend." Felton, who served on the board at WesBanco Arena, was "intimately involved" in keeping the Wheeling Nailers hockey team in Wheeling.
"I learned more about this business from him than any person on earth. He was a confident, amazing man. He was on our board and he always provided great direction. He was always personable, a master people person. This is a serious loss," Magruder said.
Cited as a civic leader who capitalized on the region's potential for tourism, Felton was inducted into the Wheeling Hall of Fame in June. He was chosen in the category of business, industry and professions.
He and nine other people were honored during a June 3 ceremony and dinner at WesBanco Arena.
Along with hockey, Felton helped to set the stage for the Winter Festival of Lights at Oglebay Park, the Wheeling-Ohio County Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Wheeling National Heritage Area Corp.
The Hall of Fame board cited Felton's "influence in charting the course of modern-day Wheeling" and characterized him as "one of the people responsible for Wheeling's resiliency."
In making its selection, the board said of Felton, "His lifelong efforts have laid the groundwork for our city's 21st-century reinvention, a reinvention that is taking place today on the streets of Wheeling. Quietly, through his leadership, he has created a path we can follow into the future, a path grounded in tourism, high-quality entertainment and historic preservation."
Felton, a Fairmont native, was hired to be part of the management team at WWVA in 1965. Four years later, the radio station and the Jamboree show moved to the Capitol Theatre.
Felton also was a co-founder of Jamboree In The Hills. A conversation between Felton and G. Randolph Worls in 1984 led to the creation of the Winter Festival of Lights at Oglebay Park. He and Worls also founded the Wheeling-Ohio County CVB. In 1994, Felton was one of four incorporators of the Wheeling National Heritage Area Corp., now known as Wheeling Heritage. He served on its boards for nearly 20 years. Felton also was a leader in attracting the Winston-Salem Thunderbirds to Wheeling and, years later, assembling a group of local partners to become owners of the Wheeling Nailers.
Visitation is from 4-8 p.m. today at Kepner Funeral Home, National Road and Bethany Pike. A funeral Mass is planned for 10 a.m. Friday at the Cathedral of St. Joseph.